Drexel University Athletics
Knudsen Finishes Runner-Up at Colombian Nationals
12/14/2020 9:08:00 AM | Men's Squash
PHILADELPHIA – Drexel junior Matias Knudsen placed second at the Campeonato Nacional Squash Colombia 2020, which ran Dec. 11-13 in Floridablanca, Colombia. The two-time College Squash Association Second Team All-American swept past four opponents into the finals, where he fell to top-seeded Juan Vargas in four games.
Knudsen went largely untroubled en route to the finals. He dropped four total points in his round of 32 matchup with Gabriel Velez, winning 11-2, 11-0, 11-2. The native of Bogota, Colombia then dispatched Juan Tovar in the round of 16 – 11-0, 11-5, 11-6 – before adding an 11-7, 11-3, 11-5 sweep of Andres Herrera in the quarterfinals.
Edgar Ramirez provided Knudsen his sternest test yet in the semifinals. Knudsen won the first game, 11-7, before grinding out a 13-11 win in the second. Ramirez went away quietly in the decisive game, losing 11-5.
Knudsen drew top-seeded Vargas, the No. 76-ranked player in the Professional Squash Association World Tour Rankings, in the finals. Vargas took the opener with little drama, 11-3, but the Dragon pushed back in the next two games. Knudsen tied the affair with an 11-3 winner of his own in the second game before dropping the next one by a close 11-9 margin. Vargas then closed out the final with an 11-4 win in the fourth game.
RESULTS
Rd. 64: Matias Knudsen BYE
Rd. 32: Matias Knudsen def. Gabriel Velez, 11-2, 11-0, 11-2
Rd. 16: Matias Knudsen def. Juan Tovar, 11-0, 11-5, 11-6
QFs: Matias Knudsen def. Andres Herrera, 11-7, 11-3, 11-5
SFs: Matias Knudsen def. Edgar Ramirez, 11-7, 13-11, 11-5
Finals: Juan Vargas def. Matias Knudsen, 11-3, 3-11, 11-9, 11-4
Knudsen went largely untroubled en route to the finals. He dropped four total points in his round of 32 matchup with Gabriel Velez, winning 11-2, 11-0, 11-2. The native of Bogota, Colombia then dispatched Juan Tovar in the round of 16 – 11-0, 11-5, 11-6 – before adding an 11-7, 11-3, 11-5 sweep of Andres Herrera in the quarterfinals.
Edgar Ramirez provided Knudsen his sternest test yet in the semifinals. Knudsen won the first game, 11-7, before grinding out a 13-11 win in the second. Ramirez went away quietly in the decisive game, losing 11-5.
Knudsen drew top-seeded Vargas, the No. 76-ranked player in the Professional Squash Association World Tour Rankings, in the finals. Vargas took the opener with little drama, 11-3, but the Dragon pushed back in the next two games. Knudsen tied the affair with an 11-3 winner of his own in the second game before dropping the next one by a close 11-9 margin. Vargas then closed out the final with an 11-4 win in the fourth game.
RESULTS
Rd. 64: Matias Knudsen BYE
Rd. 32: Matias Knudsen def. Gabriel Velez, 11-2, 11-0, 11-2
Rd. 16: Matias Knudsen def. Juan Tovar, 11-0, 11-5, 11-6
QFs: Matias Knudsen def. Andres Herrera, 11-7, 11-3, 11-5
SFs: Matias Knudsen def. Edgar Ramirez, 11-7, 13-11, 11-5
Finals: Juan Vargas def. Matias Knudsen, 11-3, 3-11, 11-9, 11-4
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Squash
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